About Time
by digitalfletch
Summary: Sequel to 'The Choice' - In the aftermath of Buck's fateful decision, he and Wilma have some things to work out...
1. Chapter 1

Buck landed the shuttle with a whisper on the Defense Directorate fight deck in New Chicago. It was just after dawn and, with only a skeleton crew of maintenance personnel on duty, the hanger bay was nearly deserted as he released the door mechanism and followed his two companions down the ramp. Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous chamber.

They crossed to the foot of the metal stairs leading out into the main part of the complex and stopped, silently looking at one another. All three were exhausted after the severe emotional drain of the past twelve hours. Yet at the same time none of them wanted to break the spell they seemed still to be under.

Finally Dr. Huer rubbed his hands together briskly. "Well, I'm afraid I must be getting on. I have a number of meetings today with the engineers working on the latest water purification building designs for New Phoenix, and then a report to prepare for the computer council this afternoon."

He fixed his gaze on his two young colleagues. "I don't expect to see either one of you at the Directorate today. Go on to your quarters, get some sleep, pack for your return to the Searcher. I'll see you back here at 0800 hours tomorrow morning."

They nodded in unison.

"Until tomorrow, then," Buck said.

"Until tomorrow, Dr. Huer," Wilma echoed.

"Tomorrow." The older man hesitated and then extended his hand to Buck. A broad smile lit his face. "And Buck – welcome home, my friend."

Buck grinned. "Thanks, Doc," he said. He gripped the older man's hand firmly in his own, then clapped him on shoulder as he turned to leave.

He stood for a moment, watching Dr. Huer leave the hanger bay, basking in the warmth of their friendship and the feeling of belonging to this time and place that was beginning to take root in his heart. Then he looked over at Wilma and gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"

----

Wilma and Buck set off through the nearly deserted corridors of the Directorate in companionable silence. Their quarters were not far from one another in the officers' wing, a short walk from the fight deck. They walked slowly, lost in their own thoughts.

For Wilma, the journey back to New Chicago from the cavern had been far too short. Far to short for her to completely process the tumultuous events and emotions she had experienced over the past twelve hours, or to fully regain her emotional equilibrium. All she could focus on was the sensation of overwhelming joy that flooded her heart when she saw Buck emerge from the rocks.

He had caught her up in his arms, and the way he'd looked at her – just for an instant, an instant that must have been brief yet had seemed timeless…

She tried to take herself back to that moment, when they had loosened their embrace and he'd gazed down at her with the rising sun lighting his face. If she had to describe the expression she had seen in his eyes, what would she say?

It had been warm – affectionate. Admiring, even. Yes, she decided. Those words felt right. But it had been so much more than that.

In that moment he had looked at her as though she was the only person in the world.

Something fluttered in her stomach. Was it true? Was Buck developing a romantic interest in her? Or was it simply hopeful thinking, imagining an outcome that she desired so much? She wished with all her heart that she knew.

"Well, this is my stop," Buck's voice broke into her reverie.

Wilma started and looked around. Indeed, they were standing just outside the door to Buck's quarters. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed their arrival.

Suddenly she wanted very badly to ask him why he'd chosen to stay here in the 25th century – and to find out if the answer might have something to do with her.

She could hear his light breathing as they stood side by side, the subtle cadence of his inhalation and exhalation as he waited for her to reply. And all at once she was acutely, almost uncomfortably aware of him, in a way she had never been before about anyone in her life. The strong yet supple tone of his chiseled body, the fine line of his jaw. The way the corners of his mouth quirked upward as he regarded her.

She shifted her gaze to look into his blue eyes. She could still see the warmth there, the affection, but also an overwhelming fatigue that dulled their usual brightness. And with this heightened awareness, the newfound sensitivity that she seemed to have of his every gesture and expression, she knew that this was not the time for questions.

Instead she shyly closed the distance between them, until they were inches apart. Then she reached out one hand against his bicep to balance herself and stretched up to kiss him gently on the cheek.

"Welcome home, Buck," she whispered against his skin.

----

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Buck fell asleep the instant his body hit the bed and awoke eight hours later feeling energized and refreshed. Also more than a little excited. Although it was technically late afternoon, he felt as though a new day was metaphorically dawning, a new chapter in his life about to begin. Ravenous, he ate a quick meal from his dispenser unit and then placed his call. There was someone he had to see before he left aboard the Searcher in the morning.

While he waited he packed for the mission, and was just closing his last bag when his door chimed. Buck pressed the keypad to release the lock mechanism and moved aside as a tall, raven-haired woman with full red lips and eyes the color of dark chocolate entered the room. "Thanks for coming, Renee."

She smiled up at him provocatively. "Of course, Buck. Any time."

He returned the smile, a bit distracted.

"I missed you last night," she continued.

He looked down. "I know. That's what I wanted to see you about."

She reached out and touched him lightly on the arm. "It's fine, Buck. You don't need to apologize. I understand that your duties to the Directorate sometimes interfere with your personal plans."

"It's not that." He ran a hand through his hair. He was stalling. There had been several times in his life when he'd been forced to end a relationship, and it never got any easier. But the best way to do it was just to be honest and forthright. He looked at her squarely, seeing her quizzical expression. "Renee, listen. I know this is coming kinda out of the blue, but, look, I'm afraid I can't see you any more."

"Can't –" she gaped at him. "But why? Have I done –"

"It isn't you, really," he hastened to say. He took a deep breath. "Something happened last night that…well, it made me realize there's someone else…"

She gazed at him for a moment, an expression of deep hurt unfolding in her eyes that made him feel like a heel. But then to his considerable surprise she nodded. "Colonel Deering."

Buck stared at her incredulously. "What – how did you know that?"

Renee gave a harsh little laugh. "Buck, I've been working at the Directorate for eight years now. I've never seen the Colonel look at anyone the way she looks at you. And she's intelligent, beautiful, and very powerful…a bit too cold, though, I've always thought –"

"You just don't know her," Buck interrupted, instinctively rising to Wilma's defense. "She's not cold at all, that's only the perception – "

He broke off as the dark-haired woman flashed him a sad smile. "There. That just goes to prove it."

"What?"

"That you're in love with her."

He sighed and crossed his arms. Women. Sometimes their logic defied him. But nevertheless he couldn't deny it. He said nothing, letting his silence speak for itself.

Renee shook her head and reached over Buck's shoulder to press the door release keypad. The door hissed open behind her. She leaned forward and took Buck's hands lightly in hers, drawing him with her into the doorway. "I'm sorry, Buck. I truly am. You're a very special man." She stared into his eyes. "I hope you'll be happy with Colonel Deering. But just in case you change your mind, I want you to have something to remember me by."

She reached up and brought his head down to hers, pressing their lips together and kissing him deeply. Buck's arms automatically slid around her waist as he allowed himself to enjoy the moment, knowing it would be their last.

As their lips began to part he caught a sudden movement out of the corner of one eye and looked up. At the far end of the corridor stood a lone figure, one hand pressed tightly against her mouth and her face stricken with shock and dismay. Wilma. Before he could move she turned and swiftly disappeared down the hallway. _Oh shit._

----

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Stunned, Wilma fled to a small parapet on the roof of the Directorate building, her heart besieged by two violent emotions.

One was white-hot anger. She was irrationally angry with the Guardian for giving Buck the choice of returning to the 20th century, a dilemma that had forced her to face the way she felt about him. She was equally irrationally angry with Buck for having chosen someone else instead of her. But mostly she was furious with herself. How could she have been so blind? Why had it never occurred to her that Buck might come to love another? How could she have missed the signs? She was so naïve when it came to affairs of the heart…and the knowledge was bitter indeed.

She tried to nurse the anger as best she could, because it was infinitely preferable to the agonizing pain that was lancing through her. For the first time in her life she had finally come to experience true romantic love, and had it snatched away before she'd taken the opportunity to act.

Her one chance was gone, and she had no name for the empty place it left deep inside. Her heart ached unbearably; her breath in her chest was leaden, weighted down by the crushing realization of unbearable loss.

If this was love, she decided grimly, then she was better off without it.

Besides, she was happy, she told herself. Happy that Buck had found someone, happy that he wouldn't be alone, happy… She felt hot tears start to press themselves behind her eyelids, and willed herself to force them back.

Oh, this was intolerable. She was Colonel Wilma Deering, Commander of the Earth Defense Directorate. She clenched her fists, wanting to break something.

She heard footsteps approaching behind her. There was no need to guess who it was.

She said nothing, but gripped the parapet railing with both hands as though her life depended on it. She couldn't face him now. Perhaps if she ignored him he would go away and leave her be.

"Wilma."

No, of course he wouldn't. His voice was soft. She couldn't bear to look at him when he was so near and yet as unattainable as the galactic rim.

"I owe you an explanation," he said to her back. Standing close behind her he could see the tautness in her slim frame, the tension that vibrated through her like a humming power line.

She shook her head, looking out over the city. "No, you don't," she whispered, trying desperately to keep her voice steady. He was her friend, her best friend, but she had no hold on his heart. He didn't owe her anything.

"Yes, I do," he contradicted. He took her by the shoulders and gently turned her to face him. Her eyes flicked to his briefly and then down to the ground between them, but not before he saw the look of utter desolation and loss in their depths.

Buck set his jaw, hating that he had hurt her so, however inadvertently. His body filled with determination to set things right between them once and for all. "Listen to me," he said, his voice low but intent. "What you saw wasn't what you thought it was."

Wilma shook her head again, her eyes still firmly fixed on the ground. "Buck, you don't have to –"

"Hey," he interrupted. "Listen to me, will you?" He reached out and slipped the fingers of one hand under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. Unshed tears sparkled like diamonds in the corners of her eyes and her heartbroken yet deeply resigned expression pierced his heart. He cursed himself for not having said something when they'd parted earlier that morning. But she was such a beautiful woman, both inside and out, that he sometimes forgot how innocent she was in the ways of love.

"What you saw just now didn't mean anything. It was a farewell kiss. I've been dating Renee for a few months now. I asked her to come to my quarters this afternoon because there was something I needed to tell her – I needed to tell her that I wouldn't be seeing her any more."

Wilma held herself very still as Buck's fingers brushed her skin, as the tiny hairs on her arms rose in reaction to the warmth of his touch and sent chills up and down her spine. The attraction that she had always felt for him was now like a gravitational pull, a magnetism so strong that she had to consciously fight to keep from reaching out and burying herself in his arms. She barely registered his words as the intoxication of his nearness threatened to overwhelm her.

Buck stopped for a moment, hoping for a response, but when none came he began again in a low, intense voice. "I told her that I'd realized there was someone else in my life who had become very important to me, someone that…that I'd come to love."

He brushed the tips of his fingers against Wilma's cheek, tenderly tracing the line of her jaw. "That someone is you."

Her eyes snapped to his. What? Was he saying what she thought he was? She felt her heart stop, then begin to hammer painfully in her chest, an echoing roar in her ears. A moment passed before she could find her voice. "Are you – do you really mean that?"

Buck nodded, watching as Wilma's eyes widened, and then to his amazement, began to fill with tears. She reached forward and pulled him into a fierce, almost desperate, embrace, holding on to him as though he might disappear into thin air at any minute. Which was understandable, he reflected, given the events of the past 24 hours. The prospect of his leaving last night had frightened her – much more than he realized. He folded his arms around her and pressed her hard against him in silent reassurance.

After an endless moment Wilma took a deep breath and leaned back to look up at him. Buck loosened his grip but didn't release his hold on her waist. Her face was tracked with tears, tears that she showed to no one else in the world – only him. It touched him to his soul that this strong, commanding woman would choose to reveal her innermost vulnerabilities to him, and him alone. He brought one hand up to her cheek and with the pad of his thumb began to gently wipe away the moisture.

She stared into his eyes, saying nothing for a moment as she fought for control. Her voice when it came was tentative, slow and hesitant in its uncertainty, yet at the same time warm and passionate with truth. "Buck – I don't know what to do, or say. I've…I've never felt this way about anyone before. But what you've just told me – I…I feel the same. I think I have for a long time, only I didn't realize it until these past few days. I wanted to tell you before, last night, but I couldn't. It wouldn't have been right. When I saw you and…just now – I thought I'd lost my chance."

Buck smiled softly as the tenderness he felt for her redoubled at her words. How like her to refrain from using her feelings to manipulate him. He'd come so close to accepting the Guardian's offer and returning to the 20th century, but it was the thought of being with Wilma – of making a future with her, together – that had sealed his decision to stay. And now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had made the right choice.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently, lovingly, to her brow. Then he grinned impishly and kissed her on the nose, eliciting a smile and a startled laugh. _There. That was more like it,_ he thought, admiring her radiance that was like sunlight bursting through a bank of clouds.

He reached up and brushed one hand over the sweep of shining auburn hair at her ear. She was so beautiful that she took his breath away. "I love you," he repeated. "I want to share my life with you. And to share whatever part of your life you might want me to."

His tone was quiet and almost seductive, making her knees go weak. And suddenly her heart was filled with a feeling of incredulous wonder, and with such joy that for a giddy moment she thought that if she was to leap now from where they stood on the roof of the Directorate building that she could very probably fly. The absurdity of the thought and the great fountain of happiness she felt welling in her heart made her throw back her head and laugh in delight.

Buck grinned in response, his delight a mirror of her own. He reached out to draw her slim body tight against him and pressed his lips to hers.

Her lips parted beneath his in surprised pleasure. He lifted his hand again to her hair, stroking his fingers gingerly through the silken strands as his mouth teased hers. It was a sweet, innocent kiss, a brief, tender first contact and yet a promise of so much more.

He was rock-solid beside her as they pulled apart, Wilma trembling slightly, pressing her hands into the small of his back to steady herself.

She felt a warm rush of blood to her head, to her hands – and elsewhere. A thrill of want and…desire…pulsed through her and she reached up with both hands to draw his head back down to hers. This time she initiated the kiss, feeling awkward and uncertain but at the same time determined not to let her inexperience hold her back. Tangling her fingers in his hair she closed her eyes and let the feel of him, the taste of him, wash over her like starlight on the clearest night.

A service bot droned past overhead. Buck cast one eye to the skies around them. Regretfully he broke the sweet contact with Wilma and murmured, "Maybe we ought to go somewhere a little more private, before we're picked up by every surveillance bot in the Directorate."

"I don't care," Wilma replied distractedly, her attention focused on Buck's lips hovering just out of reach. She leaned forward for another kiss.

Buck drew back in surprise at her uncharacteristic comment. "Who are you," he asked, mock-severely, "and what have you done with Wilma Deering?"

Wilma just laughed gaily. "All right. Let's go to my quarters." She slid her arm through his and tugged him back inside.

-----

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

The door to his office hissed open and Dr. Huer looked up from his work to see Twiki scurrying towards him carrying Dr. Theopolis around his neck.

"Dr. Theopolis, Twiki," he greeted them, slightly concerned. It was a highly unusual occurrence for the computer councilor to visit him in person during the evening. "What brings you here?"

"This was brought to my attention earlier today," Dr. Theopolis stated as Twiki held up a data chip in one metallic hand.

"What is it?" the Doctor inquired, taking the chip and inserting it into his desktop drive.

"Surveillance footage from one of the maintenance bots in Sector 12."

Dr. Huer frowned and called up the footage onto his monitor, watching curiously as he started the playback.

What he saw wasn't anything like what he had been expecting. It was Buck, and Wilma, standing together on the roof of the Directorate building. And they were…

"Good heavens!" Dr. Huer exclaimed. He turned his head and coughed discretely, as though he was in the same room with the pair of them instead of watching remotely several hours after the event.

"Yes," Dr. Theopolis agreed.

Twiki shamelessly leaned forward for a better look. "Biddi-biddi-biddi. About time."

Dr. Huer smiled down at the quad. "I couldn't agree more," he said.

FIN

1


End file.
